Installation method, information processing apparatus and device driver

ABSTRACT

In response to a request from a client for the download installation of a device driver, device informational data that has been registered in a server and an installation set, which also has been registered in the server and includes the device driver and applications related to the device driver, are downloaded from the server to the client. On the basis of the device information data that has been downloaded from the server, the device driver and the related applications are installed in the client. After installation, post-installation processing regarding the applications related to the installed device driver is executed at the client based upon the device informational data.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a technique for downloading a device driverfrom a server to a client apparatus and installing the device driver.

BACKGROUND ART

A technique referred to as “download installation” has been developed inrecent years. According to this technique, a device driver that hasalready been installed in a server is downloaded from a computerfunctioning as the server to a computer serving as a client connectedvia a network, the device driver is installed in the client computer andcan be utilized thereby.

Consider a printer driver as an example of a device driver from amongthe various types of device drivers available. “Point & Print” inMicrosoft's Windows(registered trademark) operating system is well knownas one example of such a device driver.

For example, assume that a user who is a client specifies point & print.If the print server is of the Windows (registered trademark) 2000family, the client creates a “true connect” printer connection of aRemote Procedure Call (RPC) at the time of specifying point & print.When the RPC connection is created, a printer driver and printersettings are downloaded from the print server to the client.Furthermore, the client accepts an update program from the print serverautomatically. If the printer driver and settings are updated, theclient accepts the settings asynchronously and executes print processingusing the driver.

Configuration information that is downloaded together with the printerdriver includes installable options and settings related to specific jobprocessing functions, etc. For the purpose of assisting variousfunctions of the printer driver, often related applications, namely astatus monitor and an uninstaller, which are associated with the printerdriver are downloaded simultaneously and utilized.

After the printer driver is installed automatically, these downloadedrelated applications are installed by the user employing aspecial-purpose program for installation purposes having a name such as“setup.exe”.

In a so-called “download installation” environment, inclusive of point &click, that employs the functions of an operating system, it is possiblefor a desired printer driver installed beforehand in the server to betransferred to and copied on the client side. However, processing forinstalling an application related to a print driver, which is executedafter installation of the print driver, cannot be controlled freely.

Further, post-installation processing that is optimum for a clientcannot be executed after the device driver has been installed.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to freely controlprescribed post-installation processing, which is associated with aninstalled device driver, based upon device informational data.

According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained byproviding an installation method for downloading a device driver from aserver to a client and installing the device driver, comprising:

a step of downloading device informational data, which has beenregistered in the server, and an installation set, which includes thedevice driver and which has been registered in the server, to the clientin response to a device-driver download installation request from theclient;

a step of installing the device driver based upon the deviceinformational data that has been downloaded from the server; and

a step of executing prescribed post-installation processing, which isassociated with the installed device driver, based upon the deviceinformational data after the installation of the device driver.

Further, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,there is provided an installation method in a server for downloadinstallation of a device driver to a client, comprising:

a step of downloading device informational data that has been registeredand an installation set, which includes the device driver and which hasbeen registered, to the client in response to a device-driver downloadinstallation request from the client;

a step of displaying a user interface screen and generatinginstructional information for causing the client to executepost-installation processing associated with the device driver; and

a step of registering the instructional information, which is forexecuting the post-installation processing, generated at theinstructional information generating step, in the installation set asinstallation-method data.

Further, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,there is provided an installation method in a client for requesting aserver for download installation of a device driver and installing thedevice driver that has been downloaded from the server, comprising:

a step of downloading device informational data, which has beenregistered in the server, and an installation set, which includes thedevice driver and which has been registered in the server, from theserver in response to a device-driver download installation request;

a step of installing the device driver based upon the deviceinformational data that has been downloaded; and

a step of executing prescribed post-installation processing, which isassociated with the installed device driver, based upon the deviceinformational data after the installation of the device driver.

Further, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,there is provided an information processing apparatus serving as aserver for performing download installation of a device driver to aclient, the apparatus comprising:

storing means for storing device informational data and an installationset that includes the device driver;

means responsive of a device-driver download installation request fromthe client for performing download installation of the stored deviceinformational data and installation set, which includes the devicedriver, to the client; and

registration means for displaying a user interface screen, generatinginstructional information for causing the client to executepost-installation processing and storing the generated instructionalinformation, which is for causing execution of the post-installationprocessing, in the installation set as installation-method data.

Further, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,there is provided an information processing apparatus for requesting aserver for download installation of a device driver and installing thedevice driver that has been downloaded from the server, the apparatuscomprising:

means for downloading device informational data, which has beenregistered in the server, and an installation set, which includes thedevice driver and which has been registered in the server, from theserver in response to a device-driver download installation request;

means for installing the device driver based upon the deviceinformational data that has been downloaded; and

control mans for exercising control so as to execute prescribedpost-installation processing, which is associated with the installeddevice driver, based upon the device informational data after theinstallation of the device driver.

Further, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,there is provided a device driver, which is installed in the client bythe installation method mentioned above, for executing prescribedpost-installation processing that is associated with the device driver,comprising:

reading in installation-method data for executing the post-installationprocessing; and

executing the post-installation processing based upon theinstallation-method data.

In accordance with the present invention, prescribed post-installationprocessing associated with an installed device driver can be controlledfreely based upon device informational data.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate thesame or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a printing systemaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the modular structures of a servercomputer and client computer;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of description of deviceinformational data in this embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing for registeringinstallation-method data according to this embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface screenaccording to this embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a specific example ofinstallation-method data in this embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating download installation processing;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating post-installation processing by adevice driver; and

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the details of processing of a stepS803 in FIG. 8.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described indetail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a printing systemaccording to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the printing system isconstituted by a server computer 10, a client computer 15 and a laserprinter 20 that are connected to a network 30 such as Ethernet®.Operating systems have been incorporated in respective ones of theserver computer 10 and client computer 15, and so-called “downloadinstallation”, inclusive of point & print, using the functions of theoperating systems can be implemented.

By virtue of this download installation, printing can be performed bythe laser printer 20 without the user of the client computer 15 manuallyinstalling a new printer driver.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, only one client computer 15 andonly one laser printer 20 are connected to the network 30. However, itgoes without saying that the number connected is not limited and it ispermissible to connect a plurality of clients and a plurality of laserprinters or a plurality of digital copiers or a plurality of facsimilemachines.

Next, reference will be had to FIG. 2 to describe the modular structuresand operation of the server computer 10 and client computer 15. Itshould be noted that the hardware implementations of these computers aresimilar to that of an ordinary computer and need not be described here.Further, it is assumed that the operating systems that have beeninstalled in the server computer 10 and client computer 15 areMicrosoft's Windows(registered trademark) Server 2000 or later andWindows(registered trademark) 2000 or later, respectively.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the modular structures of the servercomputer and client computer. The server computer shown in FIG. 2 has aregistration module 201. The registration module 201 designates aplurality of related applications 207, 208 relating to a device driver205 that has already been installed in the server computer, and executesprocessing for registering an installation method that describes amethod of installing the plurality of related applications 207, 208.

The registration module 201 includes a user-interface screen controlmodule 211 for displaying a user interface screen on the display of theserver computer 10 and generating installation-method data 206 forinstalling the plurality of related applications 207, 208, the detailsof which will be described later; and a registration processing module212 registers the generated installation-method data 206 in a fileformat as an installation set 204 (described later) in a memory such ahard disk together with the device driver 205.

The installation set 204 is a set of program files and data files thatinclude the device driver 205 of a device controlled by the servercomputer 10, the installation-method data 206 and the plurality ofrelated applications 207, 208.

In addition to the functions of the device driver itself, such as thegeneration of data transmitted to a device, the device driver 205 alsohas a function 251, which is for sensing a request to execute processing(referred to as “post-installation processing” below) that is executedbased upon the installation-method data 206 following the installationof the plurality of related programs 207, 208 relating to the devicedriver 205, a read function 252 and an installation function 253, etc.

The installation-method data 206 is a data file read in by the readfunction 252 and includes information that specifies installationmethods related to respective ones of the plurality of relatedapplications 207, 208.

The plurality of related applications 207, 208 are sets of files thatinclude programs 271, 272 and programs 281, 282, respectively. Thedevice driver 205 is assisted by installing these applications. If thedevice driver 205 is a printer driver, then an uninstaller program foruninstalling this printer driver and a status monitor program can bementioned as specific examples of these applications.

Further, it is assumed that in a case where there are a plurality ofdevices controlled by the server computer 10, the device driver 205 ofthe installation set 204 and device informational data 202, describedbelow, are prepared beforehand on a per-device basis.

The device informational data 202 includes an installation processingindication 221, which is information necessary for installing the devicedriver 205, and a post-installation processing indication 222, which isnecessary for post-installation processing that follows the installationof the device driver 205 and related applications 207, 208.

Further, it goes without saying that in a case where a correspondingdevice driver has been updated, the installation processing indication221 and post-installation processing indication 222 of the deviceinformational data 202 are rewritten. The installation set in which thedevice driver of the updated version has been incorporated and thedevice informational data are downloaded to and installed in the clientcomputer 15.

A download installation module 203 accepts a download installationrequest from the client computer 15. If the model name of a device hasbeen designated, the module 203 downloads and installs the deviceinformational data of the designated model name from a plurality ofinstallation sets and as well as the installation set that correspondsto this device informational data. It may be so arranged that if adevice has not been designated, then the download installation module203 downloads all installation sets and device informational data andthe client computer 15 is allowed to select the device informationaldata and installation set based upon the model name of the device.

Described next will be a specific method of describing the deviceinformational data 202 that is downloaded from the server computer 10 tothe client computer 15. The brackets shown in FIG. 3 enclose sections.As illustrated in FIG. 3, a model section 301 is a section forspecifying a model name 302 of a printer corresponding to a printerdriver that will be downloaded and installed as well as a device ID 303corresponding to this model name. In this example, the device is aprinter, the model name 302 of which is “MODEL NAME A”, specified by thedevice ID 303, which is “DEVICE ID_A”. A character string “PROGRAM LIST”is described in a program list 304.

The next section is a program list section 311. If a character stringhas been described in the program list 304 of model section 301, thenthe program list section 311 reads out driver modules that are listed at312 and installs these modules as a driver set. In this example, a groupof programs A.d11, A2.d11, A3.d11 has been listed as the driver set.

The next section is a post-processing section 321. This sectiondescribes a program that is called for the purpose of post-processing aswell as which function of the program is to be called. In this example,the designation is such that a function “PostInstall ( )” of drivermodule X.d11 is called as post-processing.

It should be noted that the model section 301 and program list section311 described above correspond to the device informational data 202 andinstallation processing indication 221, and that the post-processingsection 321 corresponds to the post-installation processing indication222 of the device informational data 202.

Further, the second row of the post-processing section 321 describesthat post-installation processing is executed upon launching adriver-set program “Y.msi”. The package (Y.msi) file includes a databasethat stores all instructions and data necessary in order to install anduninstall programs in a variety of installation scenarios.

For example, if an earlier version of a plug-in module or applicationutilized by the printer driver has already been installed, then anindication to install this plug-in module or application can be insertedinto the package file as script. Further, if a plug-in module orapplication does not exist on the client side, then an indication toinstall this plug-in module or application from a prescribed server canalso be described and inserted into the package file as script.

Thus, the Y.msi package file is obtained by combining installationscript and a group of programs. By describing the msi file in thepost-processing section 321 and executing the installation set, it ispossible to call another installation set as post-processing.

With reference again to FIG. 2, the operating system of the clientcomputer 15 is the same as that of the server computer 10, as mentionedabove, or has compatibility with regard to the download installationfunction. Compatibility with regard to the download installationfunction refers to the fact that an installation module 210 of theclient computer 15 has the ability to download and install theinstallation set 204 and device informational data 202 by cooperatingwith the download installation module 203 of the server computer 10.

The installation module 210 in the client computer 15 will be describedlater in greater detail.

Described next will be processing whereby the registration module 201 ofthe server computer 10 registers the data of the installation method inthe installation set 204. Here the data of the installation method isregistered by the registration processing module 212, described later,as the installation-method data 206 shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing for registeringinstallation-method data in this embodiment. First, at step S401, theuser who has started up the registration module 201 manipulates a userinterface screen of the kind shown in FIG. 5 displayed on the displaymonitor by the user-interface screen control module 211, therebygenerating data of a hierarchical installation method for every relatedapplication.

Specifically, information included as the installation method includesinformation 501 for adding on or changing registry information undermanagement of the system; information 502 for registering a short-cutprogram icon of an associated application; information 503 for copyingor moving a group of program files, which constitute the associatedapplication, from a stipulated location to another location; andinformation 504 for displaying an installation-related message using auser interface. In case of the related applications 207, the information501 to 504 is generated with respect to each of the programs 271, 272.

It should be noted that the user-interface screen control module 211exercises screen control when the information 501 to 504 is added on,modified or deleted interactively by the user. The information 501 to504 is stored in a RAM within the server computer 10.

Next, in order to register the data of the installation method generatedusing the user interface screen at step S401, a Save button 511 shown inFIG. 5 is clicked by a pointing device such as a mouse at step S402,whereupon the registration processing module 212 registers the data ofthis installation method (referred to as the installation-method data206 below) in the installation set 204 as a file. Further, if a Cancelbutton 502 is clicked, this processing is cancelled.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of theinstallation-method data of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, theinstallation-method data 206 is characterized in that it has the formatof a hierarchical document, such as XML, that is capable of being readin by the read function 252 of the device driver 205. Theinstallation-method data 206 thus incorporated in the installation set204 of the server computer 10 is downloaded to the client computer 15 bythe download installation module 203.

On the other hand, the installation set 204 that has been downloaded bythe installation module 210 of client computer 15 is copied as theinstallation set 204 of client computer 15 and the installation of thedevice driver 205 is carried out.

Download installation processing in the printing system of FIG. 1 willnow be described. In this processing, the user of client computer 15requests point & print, and the operating system of the client computer15 installs a device driver and post-processing in the client computer15 based upon installation set and device informational data that havebeen downloaded from the server computer 10.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating download installation processing.First, at step S701, the installation module 210 requests the servercomputer 10 to start download installation upon accepting a point &print request issued by the user through a user interface (constitutedby the monitor, keyboard and mouse of the client computer 15) or API(Application Program Interface).

Next, at step S702, in response to the download-installation startrequest from the client computer 15, the download installation module203 of the server computer 10 downloads the installation set 204, whichhas been set for every device, to the installation module 210 of clientcomputer 15. Next, at step S703, the download installation module 203 isused when a device driver has been installed in the server computer 10and subsequently also downloads the device informational data 202corresponding to the model, which was designated at the time of point &print, being held in an area managed by the operating system.

By way of example, if the client computer 15 has designated that thedevice driver of model A be installed, then the server computer 10downloads the device informational data of model A to the clientcomputer 15. Alternatively, all device informational data that has beenprepared in advance may be downloaded from the server computer 10 andthe necessary device informational data corresponding to the applicablemodel name may be read out based upon the model name designated.

Next, at step S704, the installation module 210 of the client computer15 implements, by the functions of its operating system, the contentdescribed in the installation processing indication 221 of the deviceinformational data that has been downloaded from the server computer 10and installs the device driver and related applications of thedownloaded installation set.

For instance, in the example shown in FIG. 3, if the model name forwhich installation has been designated is “MODEL NAME A”, then thedevice informational data described as “MODEL NAME A” in the model name302 of model section 301 is read out. The driver set (A.d11, A2.d11,A3.d11) 312 described in the program list section 311 of model name A isinstalled in regular order.

Next, after installation of the above-mentioned device driver iscompleted, the content described in the post-installation processingindication 222, namely the post-processing section 321, is executed aspost-installation processing by the functions of the operating system atstep S705. This is as described above with reference to FIG. 3.

Described next will be device-driver-related prescribedpost-installation processing executed by the device driver that has beeninstalled in the client computer 15.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating post-installation processing executedby the device driver. First, at step S801, the device driver 205 thathas been installed in the client computer 15 starts post-installationprocessing if the function of the driver module described in thepost-installation processing indication 222 is read out by the operatingsystem and a request to execute post-installation processing issued bythe operating system is detected by the sensing function 251.

Next, at step S802, the device driver reads in the installation-methoddata 206 that the read function 252 has incorporated in the installationset 204 of the driver beforehand. Specifically, since theinstallation-method data 206 is an XML document that has been saved as afile, the device driver converts the data to tree-structured data in thecomputer memory using a read-in module such as an XML parsing module andstores this data in a storage area within the device driver 205.

At step S803, the device driver executes post-installation processingrelating to the plurality of related applications 207, 208 associatedwith the driver based upon the installation-method data 206 read at stepS802. Specifically, this post-installation processing is processing forregistering designated registry information, registering a short-cutprogram icon, copying or moving program files that constitute theapplications from a stipulated location to another location, anddisplaying a user interface such as a message box.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the details of processing of stepS803 shown in FIG. 8. First, at step S901, the device driver lists upthe plurality of related programs associated with the device driverincluded in the installation-method data that has been stored in thedevice driver as tree-structured data and applies the following stepsS902 to S909 to each of these programs:

It is determined at step S902 whether an item relating to a registryoperation exists in the installation-method data of the relatedapplications. Control proceeds to step S903 if this item exists and tostep S904 if the item does not exist. Properties and values relating tothe registry operation are read in and the registry operation isexecuted at step S903 through an API or the like provided by theoperating system. In the example depicted in FIG. 6, a value “HKLM¥ . .. ” is described with respect to a property “Key” relating to a registrykey, and character-string values “Canon Printer Uninstaller” aredescribed with respect to a property “Value” relating to the registrykey. The registry operation is executed, therefore, upon applying theseitems of information to the API.

If items relating to registration of a short-cut item, copy or movementof a program file and display of a user interface screen exist, therelevant processing is executed at steps S904 to S909 in a mannersimilar to that of the registry operation described above.

Thus, the device driver 205, without relying upon processing to which ititself has been programmed in advance, is capable of installing privateitems of a plurality of related applications based upon theinstallation-method data 206 that has been registered by theregistration module 201.

It should be noted that initialization of a device driver is sensed by aspooler both in case of local installation of a printer driver and incase of download installation of the printer driver from a servercomputer to a client computer, and therefore it is possible for relatedapplications to be installed simultaneously in the form of both localinstallation and download installation.

Thus, in accordance with this embodiment, as described above, first,applications related to a printer driver can be installed even in adownload installation scheme such as point & print, and second, theapplication installation method can be changed with ease.

Further, in a computer network system having several hundred clientcomputers, for example, applications related to a device driver can beinstalled at the same time as download installation of the device driverwithout special-purpose programs for installation purposes beingexecuted by each and every client computer.

Further, even in a case where a special application that is not usuallyincluded in the installation set of a device driver distributed tocertain specific customers is incorporated in associated fashion, aprogram for installing this application is not actually created but isadded to installation-method data by a registration module, therebymaking it possible to embed desired processing in a device driver insimple fashion.

Furthermore, related applications can be installed without launching aspecial-purpose program for installation purposes, even in aconfiguration where download installation is from a server to a client,as in the manner of point & print.

Furthermore, since a special-purpose program, such as “setup.exe”, forinstallation purposes is assembly code generated as by compiling sourcecode programmed in advance, installation can be performed only by amethod programmed in advance. In order to change the installationmethod, therefore, it is necessary change the source code of the devicedriver and generate new assembly code by performing compiling again.With this embodiment of the invention, however, there is absolutely noneed to perform such a troublesome operation.

The present invention can be applied to a system constituted by aplurality of devices (e.g., a host computer, interface, reader, printer,etc.) or to an apparatus comprising a single device (e.g., a copier orfacsimile machine, etc.).

Furthermore, it goes without saying that the object of the invention isattained also by supplying a recording medium storing the program codesof the software for performing the functions of the foregoing embodimentto a system or an apparatus, reading the program codes with a computer(e.g., a CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus from the recordingmedium, and then executing the program codes.

In this case, the program codes read from the recording medium implementthe novel functions of the embodiment and the recording medium storingthe program codes constitutes the invention.

Examples of recording media that can be used for supplying the programcode are a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk,CD-ROM, CD-R, magnetic tape, non-volatile type memory card or ROM, etc.

Further, besides the case where the aforesaid functions according to theembodiment are implemented by executing the program codes read by acomputer, it goes without saying that the present invention covers acase where an operating system or the like running on the computerperforms a part of or the entire process in accordance with thedesignation of program codes and implements the functions according tothe embodiment.

It goes without saying that the present invention further covers a casewhere, after the program codes read from the recording medium arewritten in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or in amemory provided in a function expansion unit connected to the computer,a CPU or the like contained in the function expansion board or functionexpansion unit performs a part of or the entire process in accordancewith the designation of program codes and implements the function of theabove embodiment.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of the present inventioncan be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificembodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No.2004-153469 filed on May 24, 2004, the entire contents of which arehereby incorporated by reference herein.

1. A system including a client and a server, wherein the clientcomprises an installation unit configured to install a device driver anda request unit that sends, to the server, a request includingdesignation information which designates a desired printer, wherein theserver comprises an operating system that provides a point and printfunction as a function of downloading and installing the device driverto the client, and wherein the server further comprises: a managementunit that manages a device driver for a printer that has been connectedwith the server; a reception unit that receives the request from theclient; and a response unit that sends a response to the clientaccording to the received request, wherein the response includes adevice driver for the desired printer designated by the designationinformation in the received request and information on installation ofan application used upon print processing by the device driver, whereinthe information on installation of the application is based on aregistration process pre-established at the server, and wherein theapplication is a program executed by the client separately from thedevice driver and is based on a registration process pre-established ata prescribed server, and wherein, in the client, according to theresponse, the device driver for the desired printer is installed, andwherein the application used upon print processing by the device driveris downloaded from the prescribed server if the application does notexist on the client and is installed with a registration of registryinformation according to a predetermined installation method as apost-installation processing based on an indication for thepost-installation processing included in the received information on theinstallation of the application, wherein an operating system of theclient has compatibility with regard to the point and print function,wherein, prior to issuing the request at the client, the applicationused upon print processing by the device driver has been related to theindication for the post-installation processing at the server, andwherein at least one processor executes process steps stored in a memoryto function as at least one of the units.
 2. The system according toclaim 1, wherein the application is a status monitor program.
 3. Thesystem according to claim 1, wherein the post-installation processing isperformed by the installed device driver according to the response.
 4. Amethod executed in a system including a client and a server, wherein theclient comprises an installation unit configured to install a devicedriver, and wherein the server comprises an operating system thatprovides a point and print function as a function of downloading andinstalling the device driver to the client, wherein the client executesa request step of sending, to the server, a request includingdesignation information which designates a desired printer, and whereinthe server executes: a management step of managing a device driver for aprinter that has been connected with the server; a reception step ofreceiving the request from the client; and a response step of sending aresponse to the client according to the received request, wherein theresponse includes a device driver for the desired printer designated bythe designation information in the received request and information oninstallation of an application used upon print processing by the devicedriver, wherein the information on installation of the application isbased on a registration process pre-established at the server, andwherein the application is a program executed by the client separatelyfrom the device driver and is based on a registration processpre-established at a prescribed server, wherein, in the client,according to the response, the device driver for the desired printer isinstalled, and wherein the application used upon print processing by thedevice driver is downloaded from the prescribed server if theapplication does not exist on the client and is installed with aregistration of registry information according to a predeterminedinstallation method as a post-installation processing based on anindication for the post-installation processing included in the receivedinformation on the installation of the application, wherein an operatingsystem of the client has compatibility with regard to the point andprint function, and wherein, prior to issuing the request at the client,the application used upon print processing by the device driver has beenrelated to the indication for the post-installation processing at theserver.
 5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium retrievablystoring computer-executable process steps for performing the methodaccording to claim 4.